Natasha Claire Espino, director of San Mateo County dispatch services, said the county’s 911 center processed 497,000 calls in 2024 — “That’s an average of 1,300 calls a day,” she said — and that dispatchers routinely provide medical instructions that have led to recorded lifesaving outcomes.

Espino emphasized the core priorities of a 911 call: locating the caller and gathering key information while help is already being dispatched. “The most important question upfront is where are you, your location,” she said, and added that callers should remain calm so dispatchers can relay a clear picture to responding officers, firefighters and paramedics.

The center is accredited in emergency medical dispatch, Espino said, and a third party monitors calls and provides feedback on the questions and instructions given to callers. That oversight, she said, helps ensure medical instructions such as CPR are delivered correctly.

Caligi and Espino described the variety of incidents the center handles — from crashes and assaults to medical emergencies — and underscored the limits of information in the field. After recounting a past incident at Hillsdale High School, Caligi praised the composure of a dispatcher who provided critical situational information while family members were on scene; Espino described how dispatchers must focus on the facts to get the right resources on the way.

Espino said dispatchers work closely with field responders over radio to relay descriptions, weapons information and timing so responding units arrive better prepared. She described the job as ‘‘being in the trenches’’ and as a team role that supports first responders and community safety.

The county did not specify additional operational metrics such as response-time averages or overtime levels during the conversation; those figures were not provided on the episode.

The Open Mic episode closed with thanks to the dispatch team and an appeal to listeners to recognize dispatchers’ role as a lifeline in emergencies.